Transdermal drug delivery devices having coated microprotrusions

ABSTRACT

A device ( 12 ) and method are provided for percutaneous transdermal delivery of a potent pharmacologically active agent. The agent is dissolved in water to form an aqueous coating solution having an appropriate viscosity for coating extremely tiny skin piercing elements ( 10 ). The coating solution is applied to the skin piercing elements ( 10 ) using known coating techniques and then dried. The device ( 12 ) is applied to the skin of a living animal (e.g., a human), causing the microprotrusions ( 10 ) to pierce the stratum corneum and deliver a therapeutically effect dose of the agent to the animal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/045,842,filed Oct. 26, 2001, pending, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/244,038, filed Oct. 26, 2000. Thesedocuments are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to administering and enhancing transdermaldelivery of an agent across the skin. More particularly, the inventionrelates to a percutaneous drug delivery system for administering apotent pharmacologically active agent through the stratum corneum usingskin piercing microprotrusions which have a dry coating of thepharmacologically active agent. Delivery of the agent is facilitatedwhen the microprotrusions pierce the skin of a patient and the patient'sinterstitial fluid contacts and dissolves the active agent.

BACKGROUND ART

Drugs are most conventionally administered either orally or byinjection. Unfortunately, many medicaments are completely ineffective orhave radically reduced efficacy when orally administered since theyeither are not absorbed or are adversely affected before entering thebloodstream and thus do not possess the desired activity. On the otherhand, the direct injection of the medicament into the bloodstream, whileassuring no modification of the medicament during administration, is adifficult, inconvenient, painful and uncomfortable procedure, sometimesresulting in poor patient compliance.

Hence, in principle, transdermal delivery provides for a method ofadministering drugs that would otherwise need to be delivered viahypodermic injection or intravenous infusion. Transdermal drug deliveryoffers improvements in both of these areas. Transdermal delivery whencompared to oral delivery avoids the harsh environment of the digestivetract, bypasses gastrointestinal drug metabolism, reduces first-passeffects, and avoids the possible deactivation by digestive and liverenzymes. Conversely, the digestive tract is not subjected to the drugduring transdermal administration. Indeed, many drugs such as aspirinhave an adverse effect on the digestive tract. However, in manyinstances, the rate of delivery or flux of many agents via the passivetransdermal route is too limited to be therapeutically effective.

The word “transdermal” is used herein as a generic term referring topassage of an agent across the skin layers. The word “transdermal”refers to delivery of an agent (e.g., a therapeutic agent such as adrug) through the skin to the local tissue or systemic circulatorysystem without substantial cutting or piercing of the skin, such ascutting with a surgical knife or piercing the skin with a hypodermicneedle. Transdermal agent delivery includes delivery via passivediffusion as well as by external energy sources including electricity(e.g., iontophoresis) and ultrasound (e.g., phonophoresis). While drugsdo diffuse across both the stratum corneum and the epidermis, the rateof diffusion through the stratum corneum is often the limiting step.Many compounds, in order to achieve a therapeutic dose, require higherdelivery rates than can be achieved by simple passive transdermaldiffusion. When compared to injections, transdermal agent deliveryeliminates the associated pain and reduces the possibility of infection.

Theoretically, the transdermal route of agent administration could beadvantageous in the delivery of many therapeutic proteins, becauseproteins are susceptible to gastrointestinal degradation and exhibitpoor gastrointestinal uptake and transdermal devices are more acceptableto patients than injections. However, the transdermal flux of medicallyuseful peptides and proteins is often insufficient to be therapeuticallyeffective due to the large size/molecular weight of these molecules.Often the delivery rate or flux is insufficient to produce the desiredeffect or the agent is degraded prior to reaching the target site, forexample while in the patient's bloodstream.

Transdermal drug delivery systems generally rely on passive diffusion toadminister the drug while active transdermal drug delivery systems relyon an external energy source (e.g., electricity) to deliver the drug.Passive transdermal drug delivery systems are more common. Passivetransdermal systems have a drug reservoir containing a highconcentration of drug adapted to contact the skin where the drugdiffuses through the skin and into the body tissues or bloodstream of apatient. The transdermal drug flux is dependent upon the condition ofthe skin, the size and physical/chemical properties of the drugmolecule, and the concentration gradient across the skin. Because of thelow permeability of the skin to many drugs, transdermal delivery has hadlimited applications. This low permeability is attributed primarily tothe stratum corneum, the outermost skin layer which consists of flat,dead cells filled with keratin fibers (keratinocytes) surrounded bylipid bilayers. This highly-ordered structure of the lipid bilayersconfers a relatively impermeable character to the stratum corneum.

One common method of increasing the passive transdermal diffusional drugflux involves pre-treating the skin with, or co-delivering with thedrug, a skin permeation enhancer. A permeation enhancer, when applied toa body surface through which the drug is delivered, enhances the flux ofthe drug therethrough. However, the efficacy of these methods inenhancing transdermal protein flux has been limited, at least for thelarger proteins, due to their size.

Active transport systems use an external energy source to assist drugflux through the stratum corneum. One such enhancement for transdermaldrug delivery is referred to as “electrotransport.” This mechanism usesan electrical potential, which results in the application of electriccurrent to aid in the transport of the agent through a body surface,such as skin. Other active transport systems use ultrasound(phonophoresis) and heat as the external energy source.

There also have been many attempts to mechanically penetrate or disruptthe outermost skin layers thereby creating pathways into the skin inorder to enhance the amount of agent being transdermally delivered.Early vaccination devices known as scarifiers generally had a pluralityof tines or needles which are applied to the skin to and scratch or makesmall cuts in the area of application. The vaccine was applied eithertopically on the skin, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,726 issued to Rabenauor as a wetted liquid applied to the scarifier tines such as U.S. Pat.No. 4,453,926 issued to Galy, or U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,655 issued toChacornac, or U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,314 issued to Kravitz. Scarifiers havebeen suggested for intradermal vaccine delivery in part because onlyvery small amounts of the vaccine need to be delivered into the skin tobe effective in immunizing the patient. Further, the amount of vaccinedelivered is not particularly critical since an excess amount achievessatisfactory immunization as well as a minimum amount. However a seriousdisadvantage in using a scarifier to deliver a drug is the difficulty indetermining the transdermal drug flux and the resulting dosagedelivered. Also due to the elastic, deforming and resilient nature ofskin to deflect and resist puncturing, the tiny piercing elements oftendo not uniformly penetrate the skin and/or are wiped free of a liquidcoating of an agent upon skin penetration. Additionally, due to the selfhealing process of the skin, the punctures or slits made in the skintended to close up after removal of the piercing elements from thestratum corneum. Thus, the elastic nature of the skin acts to remove theactive agent coating which has been applied to the tiny piercingelements upon penetration of these elements into the skin. Furthermorethe tiny slits formed by the piercing elements heal quickly afterremoval of the device, thus limiting the passage of agent through thepassageways created by the piercing elements and in turn limiting thetransdermal flux of such devices.

Other devices which use tiny skin piercing elements to enhancetransdermal drug delivery are disclosed in European Patent EP 0407063A1,U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,326 issued to Godshall, et al., U.S. Pat. No.3,814,097 issued to Ganderton, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,544 issued toGross, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,023 issued to Lee, et al., U.S. Pat.No. 3,964,482 issued to Gerstel, et al., Reissue 25,637 issued toKravitz, et al., and PCT Publication Nos. WO 96/37155, WO 96/37256, WO96/17648, WO 97/03718, WO 98/11937, WO 98/00193, WO 97/48440, WO97/48441, WO 97/48442, WO 98/00193, WO 99/64580, WO 98/28037, WO98/29298, and WO 98/29365; all incorporated by reference in theirentirety. These devices use piercing elements of various shapes andsizes to pierce the outermost layer (i.e., the stratum corneum) of theskin. The piercing elements disclosed in these references generallyextend perpendicularly from a thin, flat member, such as a pad or sheet.The piercing elements in some of these devices are extremely small, somehaving dimensions (i.e., a microblade length and width) of only about25-400 μm and a microblade thickness of only about 5-50 μm. These tinypiercing/cutting elements make correspondingly smallmicroslits/microcuts in the stratum corneum for enhanced transdermalagent delivery therethrough.

Generally, these systems include a reservoir for holding the drug andalso a delivery system to transfer the drug from the reservoir throughthe stratum corneum, such as by hollow tines of the device itself. Oneexample of such a device is disclosed in WO 93/17754 which has a liquiddrug reservoir. The reservoir must be pressurized to force the liquiddrug through the tiny tubular elements and into the skin. Disadvantagesof devices such as these include the added complication and expense foradding a pressurizable liquid reservoir and complications due to thepresence of a pressure-driven delivery system.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The device and method of the present invention overcome theselimitations by transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agentusing a microprotrusion device having microprotrusions which are coatedwith a dry coating containing the agent. The present invention isdirected to a device and method for delivering a pharmacologicallyactive agent through the stratum corneum of preferably a mammal and mostpreferably a human, by coating a plurality of stratum corneum-piercingmicroprotrusions with a high potency pharmacologically active agent. Theagent is selected to be sufficiently potent to be therapeuticallyeffective when delivered as a dry coating on a plurality of skinpiercing microprotrusions. Further, the agent must have sufficient watersolubility to form an aqueous coating solution having the necessarysolubility and viscosity for coating the microprotrusions.

A preferred embodiment of this invention consists of a device fordelivering a beneficial agent through the stratum corneum. The devicecomprises a member having a plurality, and preferably a multiplicity, ofstratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions. Each of the microprotrusionshas a length of less than 500 μm, or if longer than 500 μm, then meansare provided to ensure that the microprotrusions penetrate the skin to adepth of no more than 500 μm. These microprotrusions have a dry coatingthereon. The coating, before drying, comprises an aqueous solution of ahigh potency pharmacologically active agent. The pharmacologicallyactive agent is sufficiently potent to be pharmaceutically effective ina dose of less than about 1 mg and preferably less than about 0.25 mg,per application. The pharmacologically active agent is selected to havea water solubility of greater than about 50 mg/ml and the compositionhas a viscosity less than about 500 centipoises(cp) in order toeffectively coat the microprotrusions. The solution, once coated ontothe surfaces of the microprotrusions, provides a pharmaceuticallyeffective amount of the pharmacologically active agent. The coating isfurther dried onto the microprotrusions using drying methods known inthe art.

Another preferred embodiment of this invention consists of a method ofmaking a device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically activeagent. The method comprises providing a member having a plurality ofstratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions. An aqueous solution of thepharmacologically active agent is applied to the microprotrusions andthen dried to form a dry agent-containing coating thereon. Thepharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to bepharmaceutically effective in a dose of less than about 1 mg, andpreferably less than about 0.25 mg, per application. Thepharmacologically active agent must have a water solubility of greaterthan about 50 mg/ml, preferably greater than about 100 mg/ml, and thecoating solution must have a viscosity at 25° C. of less than about 500cp preferably less than about 50 cp, in order to effectively coat themicroprotrusions. The composition can be prepared at any temperature aslong as the pharmacologically active agent is not rendered inactive dueto the conditions. The solution, once coated onto the surfaces of themicroprotrusions, provides a pharmaceutically effective amount of thepharmacologically active agent.

The coating thickness is preferably less than the thickness of themicroprotrusions, more preferably the thickness is less than 50 μm andmost preferably less than 25 μm. Generally, the coating thickness is anaverage thickness measured over the microprotrusions.

The pharmacologically active agent for coating the microprotrusions isselected to have sufficient potency to be therapeutically effective whenadministered transdermally in an amount of less than about 1 mg, andpreferably less than about 0.25 mg, of active agent.

The most preferred agents are selected from the group consisting of ACTH(1-24), calcitonin, desmopressin, LHRH, LHRH analogs, goserelin,leuprolide, PTH, vasopressin, deamino [Val4, D-Arg8] argininevasopressin, buserelin, triptorelin, interferon alpha, interferon beta,interferon gamma, FSH, EPO, GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-10, glucagon, growthhormone releasing factor (GRF) and analogs of these agents includingpharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

The coating can be applied to the microprotrusions using known coatingmethods. For example, the microprotrusions can be immersed into anaqueous coating solution of the agent. Alternatively the coatingsolution can be sprayed onto the microprotrusions. Preferably the sprayhas a droplet size of about 10-200 picoliters. More preferably thedroplet size and placement is precisely controlled using printingtechniques so that the coating solution is deposited directly onto themicroprotrusions and not onto other “non-piercing” portions of themember having the microprotrusions.

In another aspect of the invention, the stratum corneum-piercingmicroprotrusions are formed from a sheet wherein the microprotrusionsare formed by etching or punching the sheet and then themicroprotrusions are folded or bent out of a plane of the sheet. Whilethe pharmacologically active agent coating can be applied to the sheetbefore formation of the microprotrusions, preferably the coating isapplied after the microprotrusions are cut or etched out but prior tobeing folded out of the plane of the sheet. More preferred is coatingafter the microprotrusions have been folded or bent from the plane ofthe sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings andfigures. wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one example of amicroprotrusion array;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the microprotrusion array of FIG. 1 witha coating deposited onto the microprotrusions;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the amount of desmopressin delivered by amicroprotrusion array;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the amount of desmopressin delivered by amicroprotrusion array;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the amount of ovalbumin delivered by amicroprotrusion array for various application times;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the amount of ovalbumin delivered by amicroprotrusion array using various coating solutions of ovalbumin;

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the system described in Example 1;

FIG. 8. is a graph showing the amount of desmopressin delivered by amicroprotrusion array that has been tip-coated as described in Example2B.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the amount of human growth hormone delivery bya microprotrusion array that has been tip-coated as described in Example4B; and

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the delivery efficiency of ovalbuminaministered by a microprotrusion array that has been tip-coated asdescribed in Example 6B.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Definitions:

Unless stated otherwise the following terms used herein have thefollowing meanings.

The term “transdermal” means the delivery of an agent into and/orthrough the skin for local or systemic therapy.

The term “transdermal flux” means the rate of transdermal delivery.

The term “co-delivering” as used herein means that a supplementalagent(s) is administered transdermally either before the agent isdelivered, before and during transdermal flux of the agent, duringtransdermal flux of the agent, during and after transdermal flux of theagent, and/or after transdermal flux of the agent.

Additionally, two or more agents may be coated onto the microprotrusionsresulting in co-delivery of the agents.

The term “pharmacologically active agent” as used herein refers to anon-immunogenic drug or a composition of matter or mixture containing anon-immunogenic drug which is pharmacologically effective whenadministered in an amount of less than about 1 mg, and preferably lessthan about 0.25 mg. Thus, the term “pharmacologically active agent”encompasses only very potent drugs that are pharmacologically effectiveat very low doses and specifically excludes vaccines. Examples of suchhigh potency pharmacologically active agents include, withoutlimitation, leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), LHRH analogs(such as goserelin, leuprolide, buserelin, triptorelin, gonadorelin, andnapfarelin, menotropins (urofollitropin (follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) and LH)), vasopressin, desmopressin, adrenocortiocotropic hormone(ACTH), ACTH analogs such as ACTH (1-24), calcitonin, parathyroidhormone (PTH), vasopressin, deamino [Val4, D-Arg8] arginine vasopressin,interferon alpha, interferon beta, interferon gamma, erythropoietin(EPO), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF),granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-10 (IL-10)and glucagon. It is to be understood that more than one agent may beincorporated into the agent formulation in the method of this invention,and that the use of the term “pharmacologically active agent” in no wayexcludes the use of two or more such agents or drugs. The agents can bein various forms, such as free bases, acids, charged or unchargedmolecules, components of molecular complexes or nonirritating,pharmacologically acceptable salts. Also, simple derivatives of theagents (such as ethers, esters, amides, etc) which are easily hydrolyzedat body pH, enzymes, etc., can be employed.

The term “therapeutically effective amount” or “therapeuticallyeffective rate” refers to the amount or rate of the pharmacologicallyactive agent needed to effect the desired therapeutic, often beneficial,result. The amount of agent employed in the coatings will be that amountnecessary to deliver a therapeutically effective amount of the agent toachieve the desired therapeutic result. In practice, this will varywidely depending upon the particular pharmacologically active agentbeing delivered, the site of delivery, the severity of the conditionbeing treated, the desired therapeutic effect and the dissolution andrelease kinetics for delivery of the agent from the coating into skintissues. It is not practical to define a precise range for thetherapeutically effective amount of the pharmacologically active agentincorporated into the microprotrusions and delivered transdermallyaccording to the methods described herein. However, generally suchagents utilized in the device of the present invention are defined aspotent pharmacologically active agents since the microprotrusions aresized with a limited surface area for carrying the coating. In general,the amount of the agent needed to achieve the desired therapy is lessthan about 1 mg, more preferably less than 0.25 mg.

The term “microprotrusions” refers to piercing elements which areadapted to pierce or cut through the stratum corneum into theunderlaying epidermis layer, or epidermis and dermis layers, of the skinof a living animal, particularly a human. The piercing elements shouldnot pierce the skin to a depth which causes bleeding. Typically thepiercing elements have a blade length of less than 500 μm, andpreferably less than 250 μm. The microprotrusions typically have a widthand thickness of about 5 to 50 μm. The microprotrusions may be formed indifferent shapes, such as needles, hollow needles, blades, pins,punches, and combinations thereof.

The term “microprotrusion array” as used herein refers to a plurality ofmicroprotrusions arranged in an array for piercing the stratum corneum.The microprotrusion array may be formed by etching or punching aplurality of microprotrusions from a thin sheet and folding or bendingthe microprotrusions out of the plane of the sheet to form aconfiguration such as that shown in FIG. 1. The microprotrusion arraymay also be formed in other known manners, such as by forming one ormore strips having microprotrusions along an edge of each of thestrip(s) as disclosed in Zuck, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,988. Themicroprotrusion array may include hollow needles which hold a drypharmacologically active agent.

References to the area of the sheet or member and reference to someproperty per area of the sheet or member, are referring to the areabounded by the outer circumference or border of the sheet.

The term “pattern coating” refers to coating an agent onto selectedareas of the microprotrusions. More than one agent may be pattern coatedonto a single microprotrusion array. Pattern coatings can be applied tothe microprotrusions using known micro-fluid dispensing techniques suchas micropipeting and ink jet coating.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a device for transdermally delivering apharmacologically active agent to a patient in need thereof. The devicehas a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions extendingtherefrom. The microprotrusions are adapted to pierce through thestratum corneum into the underlying epidermis layer, or epidermis anddermis layers, but do not penetrate so deep as to reach the capillarybeds and cause significant bleeding. The microprotrusions have a drycoating thereon which contains the pharmacologically active agent. Uponpiercing the stratum corneum layer of the skin, the agent-containingcoating is dissolved by body fluid (intracellular fluids andextracellular fluids such as interstitial fluid) and released into theskin for local or systemic therapy.

The kinetics of the agent-containing coating dissolution and releasewill depend on many factors including the nature of the drug, thecoating process, the coating thickness and the coating composition(e.g., the presence of coating formulation additives). Depending on therelease kinetics profile, it may be necessary to maintain the coatedmicroprotrusions in piercing relation with the skin for extended periodsof time (e.g., up to about 8 hours). This can be accomplished byanchoring the microprotrusion member to the skin using adhesives or byusing anchored microprotrusions such as described in WO 97/48440,incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a stratum corneum-piercingmicroprotrusion member for use with the present invention. FIG. 1 showsa portion of the member having a plurality of microprotrusions 10. Themicroprotrusions 10 extend at substantially a 90° angle from a sheet 12having openings 14. The sheet 12 may be incorporated in a delivery patchincluding a backing for the sheet 12 and may additionally includeadhesive for adhering the patch to the skin. In this embodiment themicroprotrusions are formed by etching or punching a plurality ofmicroprotrusions 10 from a thin metal sheet 12 and bending themicroprotrusions 10 out of a plane of the sheet. Metals such asstainless steel and titanium are preferred. Metal microprotrusionmembers are disclosed in Trautman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,196; ZuckU.S. Pat. No. 6,050,988; and Daddona et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,975;the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Othermicroprotrusion members that can be used with the present invention areformed by etching silicon using silicon chip etching techniques or bymolding plastic using etched micro-molds. Silicon and plasticmicroprotrusion members are disclosed in Godshall et al., U.S. Pat. No.5,879,326, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

FIG. 2 illustrates the microprotrusion member having microprotrusions 10having a pharmacologically active agent-containing coating 16. Thecoating 16 may partially or completely cover the microprotrusion 10. Forexample, the coating can be in a dry pattern coating on themicroprotrusions. The coatings can be applied before or after themicroprotrusions are formed.

The coating on the microprotrusions can be formed by a variety of knownmethods. One such method is dip-coating. Dip-coating can be described asa means to coat the microprotrusions by partially or totally immersingthe microprotrusions into the drug-containing coating solution.Alternatively the entire device can be immersed into the coatingsolution. Coating only those portions the microprotrusion member whichpierce the skin is preferred.

By use of the partial immersion technique described above, it ispossible to limit the coating to only the tips of the microprotrusions.There is also a roller coating mechanism that limits the coating to thetips of the microprotrusion. This technique is described in a UnitedStates provisional patent (Ser. No. 60/276,762) filed 16 Mar. 2001,which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

Other coating methods include spraying the coating solution onto themicroprotrusions. Spraying can encompass formation of an aerosolsuspension of the coating composition. In a preferred embodiment anaerosol suspension forming a droplet size of about 10 to 200 picolitersis sprayed onto the microprotrusions and then dried. In anotherembodiment, a very small quantity of the coating solution can bedeposited onto the microprotrusions as a pattern coating 18. The patterncoating 18 can be applied using a dispensing system for positioning thedeposited liquid onto the microprotrusion surface. The quantity of thedeposited liquid is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 20nanoliters/microprotrusion. Examples of suitable precision meteredliquid dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,916,524; 5,743,960;5,741,554; and 5,738,728 the disclosures of which are incorporatedherein by reference. Microprotrusion coating solutions can also beapplied using ink jet technology using known solenoid valve dispensers,optional fluid motive means and positioning means which is generallycontrolled by use of an electric field. Other liquid dispensingtechnology from the printing industry or similar liquid dispensingtechnology known in the art can be used for applying the pattern coatingof this invention.

The coating solutions used in the present invention are aqueoussolutions of the pharmacologically active agent. The solution must havea viscosity of less than about 500 cp, and preferably less than about 50cp, in order to effectively coat the tiny stratum corneum-piercingelements to an appropriate thickness. As mentioned above, thepharmacologically active agent must have an aqueous solubility greaterthan about 50 mg/ml and preferably greater than about 100 mg/ml in thecoating solution.

Desired coating thickness is dependent upon the density of themicroprotrusions per unit area of the sheet and the viscosity andconcentration of the coating composition as well as the coating methodchosen. In general, coating thickness must be less than 50 micrometerssince thicker coatings have a tendency to slough off themicroprotrusions upon stratum corneum piercing. A preferred coatingthickness is less than 10 micrometers as measured from themicroprotrusion surface. Generally coating thickness is referred to asan average coating thickness measured over the coated microprotrusion. Amore preferred coating thickness is about 1 to 10 micrometers.

The agents used in the present invention are high potency agentsrequiring a dose of about 1 mg or less, preferably about 0.25 mg orless. Amounts within this range can be coated onto a microprotrusionarray of the type shown in FIG. 1 having the sheet 12 with an area of upto 10 cm² and a microprotrusion density of up to 500 microprotrusionsper cm².

Preferred pharmacologically active agents having the propertiesdescribed above are selected from the group consisting of desmopressin,luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) and LHRH analogs (e.g.,goserelin, leuprolide, buserelin, triptorelin), parathyroid hormone(PTH), calcitonin, vasopressin, deamino [Val4, D-Arg8] argininevasopressin, interferon alpha, interferon beta, interferon gamma,menotropins (urofollotropin (follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) andleutinizing hormone (LH)), erythropoietin (EPO), GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-10,growth regulatory factor (GRF) and glucagons.

In all cases, after a coating has been applied, the coating solution isdried onto the microprotrusions by various means. In a preferredembodiment the coated device is dried in ambient room conditions.However, various temperatures and humidity levels can be used to dry thecoating solution onto the microprotrusions. Additionally, the devicescan be heated, lyophilized, freeze dried or similar techniques used toremove the water from the coating.

Other known formulation adjuvants can be added to the coating solutionas long as they do not adversely affect the necessary solubility andviscosity characteristics of the coating solution and the physicalintegrity of the dried coating.

The following examples are given to enable those skilled in the art tomore clearly understand and practice the present invention. They shouldnot be considered as limiting the scope of the invention but merely asbeing illustrated as representative thereof.

EXAMPLE 1

A coated microprotrusion device for transdermally deliveringdesmopressin was prepared in the following manner. An aqueousdesmopressin solution having a concentration of 300 mg/ml was preparedby adding desmopressin monoacetate salt (sold by Diosynth, Inc. of DesPlaines, Ill.) to sterile distilled water. Tritium labeled desmopressinwas added to the desmopressin solution as a marker. A titaniummicroprotrusion member of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 was used. Themicroprotrusion member had a circular shape (1.16 cm diameter sheet withan area of 2 cm²), microprotrusions with a length of 360 μm, and amicroprotrusion density of 190 microprotrusions/cm². The microprotrusionmember was immersed briefly in the aqueous desmopressin solution andallowed to dry overnight at room temperature. This procedure resulted ina desmopressin coated microprotrusion member having a coating containingdesmopressin in the amount of 150 to 250 μg/cm² of the sheet.

Delivery kinetics studies were performed in twelve hairless guinea pigs(HGPs) to evaluate the kinetics of drug absorption through the skin fromthe coated microprotrusion members prepared as described above. Thesystem applied is shown in FIG. 7. System 25 was comprised of the coatedcircular microprotrusion member 20 adhered to the middle portion of alow density polyethylene (LDPE) sheet 22 having an adhesive film 24 onthe skin proximal side of the LDPE sheet 22 between sheet 22 andmicroprotrusion member 20. The LDPE sheet 22 and the adhesive film 24act as an adhesive overlay which keeps the microprotrusion memberadhered to the animal's skin. The skin of one HGP flank was manuallystretched bilaterally (√ and •) at the time of applying themicroprotrusion member to the animal. The system was impacted againstthe animals' skin using a spring-loaded impact applicator which causedthe microprotrusions to pierce the stratum corneum. Followingapplication of the system, the stretching tension on the skin wasreleased, the HGP was wrapped with a Vetwrap™ bandage and housedindividually in a metabolic cage for 1, 2 or 4 hours. At each timepoint, four of the HGPs had their systems removed and residual drug wasthoroughly washed from the skin and the animal was returned to its cage.The total amount of drug delivered systemically during these timeintervals was determined by measuring the radioactivity of excretedurine for two days following system removal and corrected from thepercentage excreted following IV injection (previous studies had shownthat 60% of the injected dose of ³H-desmopressin was excreted in urineover 48 hours). The average amount of desmopressin delivered to the HGPs(M_(avg)) during hours 1, 2 and 4 of wear is presented in FIG. 3. Afterthe first two hours, no additional amount of drug was absorbed. Totalamount of desmopressin delivered was about 10 micrograms, which is knownto be a therapeutically effective dose in humans for treatment ofnocturnal enuresis.

EXAMPLE 2A

A second experiment was performed on hairless guinea pigs (HGPs). Allanimals wore a system identical to those previously described inExample 1. One group of animals (Group A) wore a system for 1 hour. Intwo other groups (Groups B and C), the microprotrusion device wasremoved 5 seconds after application. In Group B, the treatment site wasimmediately washed after removal of the system. In Group C, thetreatment site was not washed but was occluded with an adhesive backingfor 1 hour following system removal. The average amounts of desmopressindelivered to the animals in Groups A, B and C are shown in FIG. 4. GroupB (5 second delivery and immediate washing) resulted in an averagedelivery of about 5 μg desmopressin. Group C (occlusion following 5second application) did not increase significantly the amount deliveredto Group B. Group A (one hour delivery) resulted in an average of 18 μgdesmopressin delivered. These results indicate that keeping the coatedmicroprotrusions in piercing relation to the skin for only about 5seconds results in substantial, although not optimal, delivery ofdesmopressin and that the drug delivered into the skin is not removed bywashing. In addition, prolonged (1 hour) contact of the microprotrusionswith the skin results in even greater amounts of desmopressin delivered.

EXAMPLE 2B

The feasibility of coating a microprotrusion array with the drugdesmopressin was evaluated. In these studies the coating was limited tothe tips of the microprotrusions. A number of microprotrusion arrays(S250 Ti, microprotrusion length 250 μm, 321 microprotrusions/cm², 2 cm²disc) were tip coated using the device described in a United Statesprovisional patent (Ser. No. 60/276,762, filed 16 Mar. 2001) using a 40wt % desmopressin acetate solution spiked with ³H desmopressin. Analysisrevealed that each microprotrusion array was coated with 187±30 μgdesmopressin. SEM examination revealed that the coating was present as aglassy amorphous matrix with good uniformity of coating frommicroprotrusion to microprotrusion. The coating was limited to the first115 μm of the 250 μm microprotrusion. The coating was found unevenlydistributed on the microprotrusion itself. Most of the solid coatingappeared to be located in circular domed regions of the coating called acap, centered on the geometric center of the faces of the coated area ofthe microprotrusion. The maximum measured thickness of the coating wasabout 18 μm while the average calculated thickness over the entirecoated area was only about 13 μm.

Studies were performed in hairless guinea pigs to evaluate the kineticsof drug absorption through the skin from desmopressin tip-coatedmicroprotrusion array systems. System application was performed on theflank of the animal with an impact applicator delivering an energy of0.26 J in less than 10 ms. The system applied comprised a coatedmicroprotrusion array device, adhered to the center of a LDPE backingwith adhesive (7 cm² disc). Systems remained on the skin for 5 secondsor 1 hour. Groups of three animals were used for both time points. Uponremoval of the system, the application site was thoroughly cleaned andthe washes were evaluated for radioactive content and the HGPs werereturned to their individual metabolism cages. Urine was collected for 2days and counted for radioactive content. The total amount of drugdelivered systemically was determined by measuring urinary excretion ofradioactivity for two days following system removal and corrected fromthe percentage excreted following iv injection (previous studies hadshown that 60% of the injected dose of ³H-desmopressin was excreted inurine over 48 hours). The used systems were extracted for residualradioactivity. Total amounts of desmopressin delivered systemically were49±3 μg (26% drug utilization) and 97±11 μg (52% drug utilization)following 5 seconds (open bar) and 1 hour (hatched bar) wearing times,respectively (FIG. 8). Only a small percentage of the drug was found onthe surface of the skin (6% at 5 seconds, and 9% at 1 hour), the balanceconsisting of desmopressin remaining on the microprotrusions.

EXAMPLE 3

The properties of the desmopressin coating were evaluated in thefollowing manner. Fluorescein sodium salt was added to a 300 mg/mlsolution of desmopressin in water. Sufficient fluorescein sodium saltwas added to achieve a final concentration of 0.001M.

A titanium foil (0.025 mm thick) was immersed briefly in this solutionand allowed to dry overnight at room temperature. Fluorescencemicroscopy revealed that the dry film of desmopressin was amorphous innature and behaved much like a transparent glass. A coating of about 2μm thick appeared to behave best in terms of flexibility and adherenceto the titanium sheet. Coatings thicker than about 10 μm were found tobe brittle and susceptible to cracking.

EXAMPLE 4A

Human growth hormone (hGH) was added to sterile distilled water to forman aqueous hGH solution having an hGH concentration of about 200 mg/mland a viscosity of less than 50 cp. A titanium foil was immersed in thesolution, followed by drying overnight at room temperature to form thehGH coating. Adequate coating of the foil was demonstrated by microscopyutilizing the method previously discussed. Although hGH could not beused for therapeutic purposes with this strategy because of the largetherapeutic dose it requires, it is believed to be a good model forcytokines, particularly interferons, which require a much smallertherapeutic dose. Similarly, titanium foil was coated with an aqueoussolution of ovalbumin, a 45,000 Dalton polypeptide containing anoligosaccharide side chain. The solution had an ovalbumin concentrationof about 300 mg/ml and a viscosity of less than 50 centipoises. Adequatecoating of the titanium foil was demonstrated by microscopy utilizingthe method previously discussed. Although ovalbumin is not apharmacologically active agent used in therapeutics or as definedherein, it is a good model for large pharmacological agents such asfollicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and erythropoietin.

EXAMPLE 4B

The feasibility of coating a microprotrusion array with the drug hGH wasevaluated. In these studies the coating was limited to the tips of themicroprotrusions. Microprotrusion arrays (S250 Ti, microprotrusionlength 250 μm, 321 microprotrusions/cm², 2 cm² disc) were tip coatedusing the device described in a United States provisional patentapplication (Ser. No. 60/276,762, filed 16 Mar. 2001) using a 20 wt %hGH, 20 wt % sucrose coating solution. Analysis revealed that eachmicroprotrusion array was coated with 9.5±0.9 μg hGH. SEM revealed gooduniformity of coating from microprotrusion to microprotrusion with acoating depth of about 100 μm. However, on the microprotrusion itself,the coating was found unevenly distributed. Most of the solid coatingappeared to be located in caps centered on the geometric center of thefaces of the coated area of the microprotrusion. Following two daysstorage in a vacuum chamber the solid coating presented a very smoothsurface with absence of cracking and it was demonstrated to adhere verytightly to the microprotrusions. The maximum measured thickness of thecoating was about 4 μm while the average calculated thickness over theentire coated area was only about 1.7 μm.

Studies were performed in hairless guinea pigs to evaluate the kineticsof drug absorption through the skin from hGH tip-coated microprotrusionarray systems. System application was performed on the flank of theanesthetized animals with an impact applicator delivering an energy of0.26 J in less than 10 milliseconds. The system applied comprised acoated microprotrusion array device, adhered to the center of a LDPEbacking with an adhesive (7 cm² disc). Systems remained on the skin for5 seconds (n=3) or 5 minutes (n=5). A group of animals (n=5) received asubcutaneous injection of 10 μg hGH. Blood samples were collected attime intervals for plasma hGH determination by ELISA. The hGH dosedelivered was extrapolated based on an area under the curve (AUC)calculation compared to IV administration of hGH. Results showed thathGH delivery from the microprotrusion array was the same with 5 seconds(open triangles) and 5 minutes (close circle) wearing times (FIG. 9). Onaverage, 5 μg of hGH was delivered in each animal, which accounts forapproximately 50% of the coated dose. This is to compare with abioavailability of 65% following subcutaneous administration of hGH, theresults of which are shown as “X” (FIG. 9).

EXAMPLE 5

The feasibility of coating the microprotrusion devices with ovalbuminwas evaluated. A coating solution comprising 200 mg/ml offluorescein-tagged ovalbumin in water was prepared. The microprotrusionmember of the type used in Example 1 was immersed briefly in the coatingsolution, blown dry, and allowed to dry overnight at room temperature.Subsequent analysis demonstrated that this coating procedure resulted inmicroprotrusions coated with ovalbumin at 200 to 250 μg per cm² of themicroprotrusion member.

Studies were performed in hairless guinea pigs (HGPs) to evaluate thekinetics of ovalbumin absorption into the skin from coatedmicroprotrusions devices. The applied system comprised a coatedmicroprotrusion device, adhered to the center of a LDPE backing with anadhesive housed on a 3.8 cm² disc. The skin of one HGP flank wasmanually stretched bilaterally (√ and •) at the time of the applicationof the system. Microprotrusion application was performed using a springloaded applicator which impacted the system against the animal's skin.Following application, the stretching tension was released, the HGPswere wrapped with a Vetwrap™ bandage and housed individually in ametabolic cage for 30 minutes or 1 hour. At each time point, four HGPshad their systems removed and residual drug was thoroughly washed fromthe skin and the animal was returned to its cage. In one group of HGPs,the microprotrusion device was removed 5 seconds after application (0hour time point). The average total amount of ovalbumin delivered intothe skin (M_(avg)) during these time intervals was determined by takingan 8 mm skin biopsy at the application site. The skin biopsy sample wasthen dissolved in hyamine hydroxide (diisobutylcresoxyethoxyethyl)dimethyl) benzylammonium hydroxide, 1 M in ethanol, sold by J. T. Baker(NJ, USA) and the amount of ovalbumin present was determined byfluorimetry. Results demonstrated that up to 80 μg ovalbumin wasdelivered intracutaneously over the 1 hour application period. The 5second piercing resulted in about 25 μg of ovalbumin deliveredintracutaneously. These results are shown in FIG. 5. Although ovalbuminis not a pharmacological agent used in therapeutics, it is a good modelfor large potent pharmacologically active agents such as folliclestimulating hormone and erythropoietin.

EXAMPLE 6A

An experiment similar to that described in Example 1 was performed inthe HGPs using the identical microprotrusion systems which were coatedwith aqueous ovalbumin solutions having ovalbumin concentrations of 200,50, and 10 mg/ml ovalbumin. In all groups the microprotrusion device wasremoved immediately after application. Application and analysis wereperformed identically to that described in Example 1. Resultsdemonstrated that delivery of ovalbumin could be controlled bycontrolling the amounts coated on the microprotrusions. The averageamounts of ovalbumin delivered (M_(avg)) for each of the three solutionconcentrations ([C]) are shown in FIG. 6.

EXAMPLE 6B

The feasibility of coating a microprotrusion array with the drugovalbumin was evaluated. In these studies the coating was limited to thetips of the microprotrusions. Microprotrusion arrays (S250 Ti,microprojection length 250 μm, 321 microprojections/cm², 2 cm² disc)were tip coated using the device described in a United Statesprovisional patent application (Ser. No. 60/276,762; filed 16 Mar. 2001)using a 20 wt % ovalbumin tagged with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC).Analysis revealed that each microprotrusion array was coated with4.6±0.5 μg ovalbumin. SEM examination revealed that the coating waspresent as a glassy amorphous matrix with good uniformity of coatingfrom microprojection to microprojection. The coating was limited to thefirst 150 μm of the microprojection.

Studies were performed in euthanized hairless guinea pigs to evaluatethe kinetics of drug absorption through the skin from ovalbumintip-coated microprotrusion array systems. System application wasperformed on the flank of the animal with an impact applicatordelivering an energy of 0.26 J in less than 10 ms. The applied systemscomprised a coated microprotrusion array, adhered to the center of aLDPE backing with an adhesive (7 cm² disc). Systems remained on the skinfor 5 seconds or 1 hour. Groups of three animals were used for both timepoints. At the end of the wearing time, the system was removed and theskin wiped clean of any residual drug. The total amount of ovalbumindelivered in the skin during these time intervals was determined bydissolving a 8 mm skin biopsy in hyamine hydroxide (10% in methanol).Quantitation was performed by fluorimetry. Results presented in FIG. 10demonstrated that more than 80% of the ovalbumin dose was deliveredafter 5 seconds wearing time (open bar). Close to 100% of the dose hadbeen delivered after 1 hour application time (solid bar).

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific examples, it should be understood that various modificationsand variations can be easily made by a person having ordinary skill inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure should be interpreted asillustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Thepresent invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

1. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 milligrams, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/ml and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 2. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions and a dry coating only on one or more of said microprotrusions; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 3. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions, said microprotrusion being adapted to pierce through the stratum corneum to a depth of less than about 500 micrometers; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 4. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; said coating having a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the microprotrusions; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 5. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions, said microprotrusions having a length of less than 500 micrometers and a thickness of less than 25 micrometers; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 6. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions, said microprotrusions having been formed by etching said plurality of microprotrusions from a thin sheet and folding the microprotrusions out of a plane of the sheet; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 7. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; said pharmacologically active agent being sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises; and wherein the pharmacologically active agent is selected from the group consisting of adrenocortiocotropic hormone (ACTH (1-24)), calcitonin, desmopressin, leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), goserelin, leuprolide, buserelin, triptorelin, other LHRH analogs, parathyroid hormone (PTH), vasopressin, deamino [Val4, D-Arg8] arginine vasopressin, interferon alpha, interferon beta, interferon gamma, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), erythropoietin (EPO), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-10 (IL-10), glucagon, growth regulatory factor (GRF), analogs thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
 8. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of the pharmacologically active agent desmopressin; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 9. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent, said coating having been applied by dip coating; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 10. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent, said coating having been applied by spray coating; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 11. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent, said coating having been applied by spray coating; said spray comprising droplets having a volume of about 10 picoliters to about 200 picoliters; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 12. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry non-contiguous coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/ml and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 13. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 0.25 milligrams, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/ml and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 14. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/ml and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 50 centipoises.
 15. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent, said coating having a thickness over a surface of said member of less than about 50 micrometers; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/ml and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 16. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent, said coating having a thickness over a surface of said member of less than about 25 micrometers; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 milligrams/milliliter and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoises.
 17. A device for transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent, the device comprising: a member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions; and a dry coating on said member; said coating, before drying, comprising an aqueous solution of an amount of a pharmacologically active agent and an adjuvant; wherein said pharmacologically active agent is sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg, said agent having aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than about 50 mg/mL and said aqueous solution having a viscosity at about 25° C. of less than about 500 centipoise. 18-37. (canceled)
 38. A method of transdermally delivering a pharmacologically active agent to a patient, comprising the steps of: providing a microprotrusion member having a plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions, said microprotrusion member having a coating disposed thereon, said coating including at least one pharmacologically active agent, said pharmacologically active agent being sufficiently potent to be therapeutically effective when administered in an amount less than about 1 mg; and applying said microprotrusion member to a skin site on the patient, whereby said plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions pierce the stratum corneum and deliver said pharmacologically active agent to the patient, wherein said delivered pharmacologically active agent has improved pharmacokinetics compared to pharmacokinetics after subcutaneous injection.
 39. The method of claim 46, wherein said pharmacologically active agent is selected from the group consisting of adrenocortiocotropic hormone (ACTH (1-24)), calcitonin, desmopressin, LHRH, LHRH analogs, goserelin, leuprolide, PTH, vasopressin, deamino[Val4, D-Arg8) arginine vasopressin, buserelin, triptorelin, interferon alpha, interferon beta, interferon gamma, FSH, EPO, GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-10, glucagon, growth hormone releasing factor (GRF), and analogs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
 40. The method of claim 38, wherein said improved pharmacokinetics comprises increased bioavailability of said pharmacologically active agent.
 41. The method of claim 38, wherein said improved pharmacokinetics comprises an increase in C_(max).
 42. The method of claim 38, wherein said improved pharmacokinetics comprises a decrease in T_(max).
 43. The method of claim 38, wherein said improved pharmacokinetics comprises an enhanced absorption rate of said pharmacologically active agent.
 44. The method of claim 38, wherein said coating is formed from an aqueous solution and said agent has an aqueous solubility at about 25° C. of greater than approximately 50 mg/mL.
 45. The method of claim 44, wherein said aqueous solution has a viscosity less than approximately 500 centipoise at about 25° C.
 46. The method of claim 38, wherein each of said plurality of stratum corneum-piercing microprotrusions has a length less than approximately 500 microns. 